St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt booted his 500th career goal as the Saints returned to the AFL top-eight with an emphatic 95-point drubbing of Gold Coast on Saturday night.

Riewoldt, who grew up on the Gold Coast, led from the front with seven goals and 21 disposals as his side scored a 21.18 (144) to 7.7 (49) win in front of 12,534 fans at Metricon Stadium.

Making the most of a contested possession inside the Suns’ 50, Riewoldt toed the rolling ball along the ground to claim his 500th major in the 13th minute of the second quarter.

The goal was Riewoldt’s third of the night and the second of a nine-goal streak for the Saints that stretched over both sides of the main break.

The Saints scored four more goals in the final seven minutes of the quarter to blow their lead out to 44 at halftime and continued to dictate terms once play resumed.

The Suns – who at one stage in the second quarter pulled back to within a goal after trailing by 18 at the first change – could not keep up once the Saints found their groove in the second half.

Coming off his record-equalling 53-possession performance against Collingwood last week, Suns captain Gary Ablett was kept relatively quiet by his standards with only 20 possessions.

Jason Blake and Jason Gram were strong performers for the Saints, while Justin Koschitzke also contributed with three goals.

Suns defender Campbell Brown did not return after receiving a cork to the leg in the second quarter, while Saint Ahmed Saad was taken from the field in the third term with concussion and a cut to the head after a nasty clash.